Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Peace III . . .

Dear Peeps;

I've been writing in the past couple of days about peace--something I believe we all desire. Last week when I was reading from an Eckhart Tolle interview on Oprah.com, Tolle described some common barriers we humans experience that prevent us from being at peace:

We mistake peace for unconsciousness.

We mistake peace for happiness.

We keep looking ahead (or looking back).

We strain away from the present moment.

We don't fully trust . . . yet.

I've done some unpacking on the first two barriers, and I'd like to speak to the third and the fourth bullets, because I think they belong together; they both have to do with operating in the present moment.

When we constantly beat ourselves up about the past, or worry about the future, we rob ourselves of the gift of the present moment, which is really all we have. Tolle reminds us that two more common mistakes are: We keep looking ahead (or looking back); We strain away from the present moment.

I believe what Tolle is really hinting at is this:

Peace is found in the present moment.

So, the questions then become:

How do we inhabit the present moment?

How do we stay present?

How do we "present" ourselves?

Being present is something I have to work on daily, sometimes even on a momentary basis. When I am up in my head (looking ahead or looking back, according to Tolle), or trying to multitask--I am not attending to the moment. Then what can we do?

In these instances, I have begun to train myself to CATCH MYSELF NOT BEING PRESENT. What do I do to get back into the moment?

I begin to pay attention to my breathing.

I engage in a conversation with eye contact with someone who is in my surroundings.

I laugh out loud or stomp my feet on the ground or floor.

I engage all my senses in whatever is around me . . . and time drops off.

Silently in my mind I name objects, sounds, colors, smells, sights, and feelings in my environment.

What next? Nothing.

Just be. Being is pure presence, the inner knowing, the deep inner peace--that passeth all understanding.

How do you get back to presence? To peace? Leave a comment and share your experience.

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About (funfree)Me!

I am a writer, storyteller, teacher, blogger, philosopher, spiritual collagist, mama, LoVer of LiFe!, amazing friend, and one cOoL pUsSy cAt!!
I has been teaching middle school English for over 25 years and hold a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a focus in literacy. My interests in reflection and spirituality stem from my research in adolescent identity formation (translation: how we grow up and become more fully ourselves!), from work on my own transformation, and from my experiences of evolving as a PERFECTly imPERFECkT hu(wo)man BEing!